systemd... or not?

Now that Linux Mint 18 (Sarah) is about to be released, I am trying to figure out how big a deal is (the decision of LM developers to) switch to systemd? I've been doing some reading on systemd vs. sysVinit and I still don't see what the fuss is all about... So, I'd really like to hear (read) what you guys think about this issue...
P.S.
I'm still new in the wonderful world of GNU/Linux, so please don't be offended by my newbie question

Chi vive sperando, muore cagando!

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For most people, me included, that are using Linux on a desktop or laptop to just surf the net, office work and watch videos and play music, it makes no difference. Ubuntu 16.04 boots on my i5 laptop (with ssd drive) in 15 seconds. I'm a happy camper with systemd.

For heavier uses of Linux, that's up to them.

If operating systems were like ice cream,
Windows would be vanilla, Linux would be 31Flavors.​

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As a non_power user , from what I have read -- is the idea that systemd is 'expanding' it's purview beyond only an init function ;
this is contrary to linux tenents . It seems like it is empire building and is quite impolite .
wikipedia <https: / / en.wikipedia .org /wiki /Systemd> says: "The increasing adoption of systemd has been controversial, with critics arguing the software has violated the Unix philosophy by becoming increasingly complex, and that distributions have been forced to adopt it due to the dependency of various other software upon it, including, most notably, the GNOME 3 desktop environment."
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I am configuring a new (to me) system with dual boot W7Ult64 & linux .
For the linux I personally desire to avoid systemd
<http: / / without-systemd.org/wiki/index.php/Arguments_against_systemd> , GRUB2 , and Gnome 3 ;
which gives options , via distrowatch <http: / / distrowatch .com /search.php?pkg=systemd&distrorange=NotInLatest#pkgsearch>
of Salix [Slackware clone] , 'Scientific' Linux 6x (last version) [RedHatEnterpriseLinux clone] <https: / / scientificlinux .org /downloads /sl-versions /sl6 /> ,
or Debian 7x 'oldstable' .
..
I am leaning towards SL6 due to security LongTermSupport , until 2020 ; <https: / / en.wikipedia .org /wiki /Scientific_Linux#Support> .
...
In order to dual boot Wind & linux -- the main idea is to install Wind first , then linux ;
this is because Wind installs its bootloader to the MBR (only) , and you may specify where to have linux install GRUB <https: / / en.wikipedia .org /wiki /GNU_GRUB> . {I ususally install GRUB to the same partition as the linux 'boot' directory.
_ Scientific Linux 6x uses GRUB 0.97 , and it 'automagically' found my Wind7 and listed it in the GRUB boot menu
very polite {read intelligent} ; )
..
Of course Wind7Ult is using DAZes 'medicine' .
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Last , but not least , Debian is getting forked into Devuan <http: / / distrowatch .com /table.php?distribution=devuan> --
without systemd {yea !} .